Thoughtful Thursday: Celebrating Women in Science!

Published March 06, 2014

In honor of Women's History Month, we'd like to recognize just a few of the amazing women who have dedicated their lives and careers to the exploration and protection of our precious and fragile blue planet!

Margaret LeinenAs the Director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Margaret Leinen is helping to pave the way for future generations of ocean scientists, explorers and environmentalists. Scripps, formally part of UC San Diego, is one of the world's oldest centers for oceanic and atmospheric research. Since it's establishment in 1903, this institution has produced three Nobel Prize winners and three National Medal of Science winners.

Image via Scripps

Leinen's recent appointment at Scripps is just one of the many accomplishments in an illustrious career dedicated to the ocean. As an award-winning paleo-oceanographer, Leinen is responsible for creating a better understanding of the relationship between ocean sediments and climate.

Wendy SchmidtIn 2013, the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE launched. The goal of this prize is to address a global need for better information about the process of ocean acidification.

Image via XPRIZE

A long-time supporter of ocean exploration and research, Schmidt and her husband Eric are founders of the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI). Through combining science with state-of-the-art technology, the SOI hopes to achieve lasting results in ocean research and shares their groundbreaking knowledge with audiences around the world, with the ultimate goal of fostering a deeper understanding of our environment.

Throughout her lifetime, Turner published more than 200 scientific articles and became one of Harvard's first tenured female professors. In addition to her contributions to marine academia, Turner worked closely with filmmakers and explorers like Stan Waterman, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Robert Ballard (responsible for discovering the Titanic).

Margaret MurieAffectionately referred to as the "Grandmother of the Conservation Movement," Margaret Murie played a critical role in the passage of the Wilderness Act and the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Image via Wikipedia Commons

Beginning in the 1960's Murie, an author, naturalist and conservationist, dedicated her life to lobbying Congress to pass legislation to prevent development on designated wildlife habitats nationwide. As a result of her tireless dedication to preserving millions of acres of Alaskan habitat, Murie was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1998.

Want to learn more about the amazing contributions women have made to science? Join us for our annual Women's History celebration tomorrow, March 7th!